ART may be self-expression, but what?s the point of capturing beauty when some people can?t even see them?

That must have been a foremost thought among prominent artists Bencab, Betsy Westendorp, Valeria Cavestany, Duddley Diaz, Ramon Diaz and Impy Pilapil when they donated some of their highly prized paintings and sculptures to raise funds for the cataract surgeries of indigent patients in Ifugao and Cagayan Valley.

Boston-based eye doctor Dr. Felipe I. Tolentino, president of Restoring Sight International (RSI), noted that the highest incidence of blindness in the Philippines occurs in those two northern areas, and that cataracts are the most common cause for sight loss. It is a disease that affects older people. But among the younger generation in this region, too much exposure to the sun and malnutrition are known causative factors, he added.

?The provincial government requested us to build an eye center because even surgical missions conducted every month have not fully alleviated the situation,? said this head and founder of the Ophthalmological Foundation of the Philippines (OFPHIL).

A trip to Madrid for Tolentino proved fortuitous when he met and began to treat Westendorp for another eye condition. Learning of similar eye problems among Filipinos in Northern Luzon, the artist rallied support from other kind-hearted artist friends whose donated artworks will be exhibited and sold on February 3 at the Manila Polo Club. For details, contact Silvana Diaz at 0917-8446244 or (02) 831-9990.

Though both of them are frequently abroad, Westendorp and Tolentino have a heart for the homeland that shows in their work. Westendorp continues to find inspiration for her art in the Philippines, while Tolentino who left the country to become a Retina Associate at Harvard Medical School in the ?70s, frequently returns for medical missions.

RSI, which Tolentino founded, is initially subsidizing the first Ifugao Eye Center. With more funding and eventual PhilHealth approval, Tolentino hopes the center will become self-sustaining. Several ophthalmologists have already volunteered to help OFPHIL manage the center, while other volunteer international doctors are on standby.

Tolentino?s involvement in eye care in rural communities proves that he is no stranger to the difficulties of mountain life. He recalls life in Agusan during WWII, when jungles had to be converted to rice land. ?I helped my parents work the land and sell the produce, both of which helped me see the value of hard work, trust, integrity, the dignity of labor and honesty in dealing with all kinds of people,? he said. His family survived in the mountains until 1946, while Tolentino went to the US in 1959 for his residency training in Ophthalmology. But he never forgot his roots and the need to give back. ?The idea is to get others to help out. One person cannot do it alone,? he said.

Indeed, six great artists are pitching in with thirteen drawings, paintings and sculptures. The event gives aesthetic pleasure to art lovers. But for patients of the eye center, the exhibit can help them see light at the end of the tunnel. Literally. ?